Thursday 13 September 2018

Making a 5 Strand Braided Wrist Band


Today I became brave and decided to do a 5 strand braided wrist band.  I didn't start out to do a 5 strand braid but as I didn't have a ribbon crimp (to clamp the ends) small enough to do a 3 strand braid for the width of suede I had bought.


I started by putting the 5 strands of suede together and crimping them. This is tricky. I found it doesn't work well to lay them on a surface and slide in the ribbon crimp. It's better to hold them together in your fingers, set the crimp over them and then crimp.


Here is the braiding diagram I used.


In the picture below you can see that the farther along I went, the better I got. The braid is loose at the top and much tighter below. As I had the rhythm, I undid it all and started again.

I found after going through the steps above, the last step leaves 3 strands on the left and 2 on the right. Now you can begin the rhythm. The side with 3 strands, take the outside strand, put it over the next and then under the one after. Now the 3 strands are on the other side. Do the same:

3 side, over under
3 side, over under


I tightened the braid after each over, under movement. Much better.  


I made the wrist band longer than it needed to be and crimped the end. Then I measured the length it needed to be after affixing the clasp.


I tried different ways to clasp it, so it would be easy to put on and take off. The larger lobster clasp I had worked the best.


And here it is!


As it was my first time doing this, it took awhile. Now that I've done it once, it'll be easier the next time. I just have to remember, outside over under, outside over under ...

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